p>Shoppers at Stockland Wendouree will be cooled by the sun in coming summers as part of an Australian Government supported pilot project for solar air-conditioning technology.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, today announced $500,000 for the $1 million project through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
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Shoppers at Stockland Wendouree will be cooled by the sun in coming summers as part of an Australian Government supported pilot project for solar air-conditioning technology.
Federal Member for Ballarat, Catherine King, today announced $500,000 for the $1 million project through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Under the project, CSIRO will demonstrate its novel solar powered air-conditioning technology at the Stockland Wendouree shopping centre in Victoria.
Shopping centres typically have a high demand for energy due to air-conditioning, hot water and electricity use. The system is supplied by high temperature heat from concentrating solar collectors.
Ms King said the project aims to advance the concentrating solar thermal technology towards commercialisation by piloting the technology on a major shopping centre.
“CSIRO, together with partners Stockland Group and NEP Solar, will develop and install the system to collect solar energy from the shopping centre roof and use it to supply the building with heating and cooling,” Ms King said.
“The technology has the potential to displace conventional air-conditioning in Australian commercial buildings, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, peak electricity demand and electricity bills.
“On hot sunny afternoons, peak electricity demand almost doubles due to the increased use of air-conditioners at shopping centres.
“Successful completion of the project means solar air conditioning technology will become closer to the mainstream, helping Australia build its clean energy future.”
Ms King said the solar air-conditioning device has been specially designed to operate at higher solar temperatures than current technology. These temperatures are provided by concentrating solar troughs and allow higher efficiency to be reached.
“This is a great example of innovative local technology developed to work in Australia’s sunny conditions.”
Ms King said in the future, the system could go further and also generate electricity, making the most of every ray of sunshine that hits the shopping centre roof and reducing demand on the grid at peak times.
The project is expected to be completed mid-2015.